Steamship Buffalo, Wilson Line, from the Ocean and River Steamers series (N83) for Duke brand cigarettes 1887

This vibrant card, created around 1900 by W. Duke, Sons & Co. for their cigarettes, presents us with a potent mix of symbols: a steamship cutting through the waves, a woman’s portrait, and national flags fluttering in the wind. The ship, a modern marvel of its time, is not merely a vessel, but an emblem of progress and global reach. The flags allude to international trade, while the female portrait embodies a sense of idealized beauty. The steamship itself, recalling the mythical ship Argo from antiquity, symbolizes adventure, danger, and the crossing of boundaries into the unknown. We may consider how the steamship has evolved. From the ancient barques depicted in Egyptian tombs to the majestic caravels of the Age of Discovery, these vessels have always evoked subconscious desires for exploration, colonization, and control over the natural world. As a merchant ship, it encapsulates the spirit of this capitalist enterprise. It's psychological allure evokes the sense of what lies beyond the horizon, a powerful dream that engages us still. The echoes of this image continue to resonate, carrying within them the hopes, fears, and aspirations of a rapidly changing world.